The present invention relates to a clip for fixing an elongated member, such as a pipe, electric cable or the like used in an automobile, electric equipment, consumer electric appliance, industrial machine or the like, to an automobile body, or another workpiece. In particular, the present invention relates to a capped clip or a clip having a cap for fixing an elongate member, such as a pipe, electric cable or the like, to a workpiece.
A capped clip for fixing an elongate member, such as a pipe, electric cable or the like, to a workpiece such as an automobile body is known. Some examples of such capped clips are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-070489, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-186277 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-077184. The clip of the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 51-070489 comprises a pair of semicircular members; one serves as a fixing portion to be fixed to a workpiece, and the other serves as a cap portion. These semicircular members are connected with each other through a hinge, and the cap member is pivoted about the hinge to be closed to hold a cable therein. This clip can advantageously hold the cable simply by pivoting the cap member about the hinge. However, when a certain force is applied to the closed cap member in the direction causing pulling out of the cable, the cap member could be undesirably deformed to come out of an engagement portion. The capped clip of the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 58-186277 includes a cap member capable of pivoting about a shaft of a fixing member, and the cap member and the fixing member are formed separately as two components. Thus, as compared to an integrally molded structure as a one-piece component, this clip needs a larger number of molding dies and man-hours for its molding and assembling processes. In the clip of the Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-077184, a fixing portion and a cap portion are integrally formed with each other. However, the clip is constructed to fix one of the ends of the cap portion by a pivot when the cap portion is in its closed position. This can cause excessive play in the pivot portion, resulting in unstable movement of clips held in the clip.
In addition to the capped clips described above, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 55-120873, Japanese Design Registration No. 595528 and Japanese Patent Laid-pen No. 10-030750 disclose other capped clips. These clips are integrally molded in a one-piece, and each of the clips includes a fixing portion to be fixed to a workpiece, a clamp portion having a pair of clamp arms standing from the fixing portion in an approximate U-shape to define a U-shaped holding section for holding an elongated member such as a pipe, electric cable or the like, and a cap portion for closing an opening of the clamp portion. These capped clips are adapted to hold the elongated member by inserting the elongated member from the opening of the clamp portion and then closing the opening with the cap portion. In these clips, the cap portion and the clamp portion are integrally formed to connect with each other through a hinge. Further, additional engagement portions other than the hinge are formed in both the cap portion and the fixing portion at a position adjacent to the hinge, so that, after the cap portion is pivoted about the hinge to fix the cap portion in its closed position, the cap portion is firmly fixed in the closed position. In these clips, if the electric cable or pipe held in the clamp portion is moved in the longitudinal direction of the electric cable or pipe relative to the clamp portion, the cap portion in frictional contact with the clamp portion can be moved relative to the clamp portion in the longitudinal direction. When the movement distance goes over a certain limit, the engagement portion of the cap portion adjacent to the hinge can be released from the corresponding engagement portion of the clamped portion, and consequently the electric cable or pipe will undesirably come out of the clip.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-259884 discloses a capped clip including a fixing portion to be fixed to a workpiece, a semicircular damp portion for holding an elongated member such as a pipe, electric cable or the like, and a semicircular cap portion for closing an opening of the clamp portion with the clip being integrally molded in a one-piece component. This capped clip is adapted to hold the elongated member by inserting the elongated member from the opening of the clamp portion and then closing the opening with the cap portion. In this capped clip, one of the sides of the cap portion is connected to one of the sides of the clamp portion through a thin hinge allowing the cap portion to be pivoted to close the opening of the damp portion. The other side of the cap portion is formed with a first engagement portion adapted to engage with a second engagement portion formed in the other side of the clamp portion, so as to keep the cap portion in its held position. Further, a protrusion is formed on the outer surface of the clamp portion adjacently to the hinge, and the cap portion is formed with a recess for receiving the protrusion therein when the cap portion is closed, to allow the cap portion to be firmly fixed in its closed position. This clip is formed with step portions allowing the cap portion in frictional contact with the clamp portion to be constrained by the clamp portion when the electric cable or pipe held in the clamp portion is moved in the longitudinal direction of the electric cable or pipe relative to the clamp portion, so that the cap portion is not moved in the longitudinal direction. However, these step portions are provided at two positions apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the semicircular clamp portion and the semicircular cap portion, resulting in complicated configuration and increased cost of molding dies therefor.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a capped clip for a pipe, electric cable or the like, capable of keeping a cap portion of the clip in its closed position and allowing the cap portion to be constrained by a clamp portion of the clip even if an electric cable or pipe held in the clamp portion is moved in the longitudinal direction of the electric cable or pipe relative to the clamp portion, so that the cap portion is not moved in the longitudinal direction to keep the closed position, with simplifying the configuration of a molding die therefor.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a capped clip for a pipe, electric cable or the like, comprising a fixing portion to be fixed to a workpiece, a damp portion having a pair of clamp arms standing from the fixing portion in an approximate U-shape to define a U-shaped holding section for holding an elongated member such as a pipe, electric cable or the like, and a cap portion for dosing an opening of the clamp portion with the fixing, clamp and cap potions being integrally molded to form one piece, wherein the capped clip is adapted to hold the elongated member by inserting the elongated member into the opening of the clamp portion and then closing the opening with the cap portion. The capped clip according to the present invention further comprises: a thin hinge connecting the cap portion to the outer surface of a first one of the clamp arms to allow the cap portion to be pivotally moved about the hinge to close the opening of the clamp portion; a first engagement portion formed in the cap portion and adapted to engage with a second engagement portion formed in a second one of the clamp arms to keep the cap portion in its closed position; a protrusion formed at the opening-side end of the first clamp arm having the thin hinge, the protrusion protruding outward from the holding section; a recess formed in the cap portion at a position corresponding to the protrusion of the first clamp arm, the recess being adapted to receive the protrusion therein when the cap portion is pivotally moved to its closed position; an engagement shoulder formed in the recess and adapted to engage with the protrusion to lock the cap portion in its closed position when the cap portion is in the closed position; and a pair of walls defining a portion of the recess to be located on the opposite sides of the protrusion in the longitudinal direction of the elongated member, the walls being adapted to confine the protrusion to prevent it from coming out of the recess even if the cap portion is forced to move with respect to the clamp portion in either longitudinal direction of the elongated member received in the holding section when the cap portion is in its closed position.
By virtue of the above structure, when the recess receives the protrusion of the arm of the clamp portion, the engagement shoulder engages with the protrusion to keep the cap portion in its closed position reliably. Further, the opposite walls constrain the relative movement between the protrusion and the recess so that the cap portion is not move with respect to the clamp portion in the longitudinal direction so as to keep the closed position. Furthermore, since both the engagement shoulder and the walls are defined only in the recess, a molding die therefor can be simplified in configuration and reduced in cost.
In the capped clip described above, the protrusion of the first clamp arm may have a certain thickness in the height direction of the U-shaped clamp portion, and the recess of the cap portion may have a height equal to or slightly smaller than the thickness of the protrusion. Even if the protrusion has a slightly smaller thickness than that of the recess, the recess can receive the protrusion therein due to leverage of the cap potion when the cap portion is pivoted about the hinge to be closed. This allows the protrusion to be fitted into the recess without any loosening. Thus, the cap portion is more reliably kept in its closed position without any undesirable movement. Further, the engagement shoulder of the cap portion may be formed to be brought into surface contact with the protrusion when the cap portion is in its closed position. This allows the cap portion to be more firmly kept in its closed position. Furthermore, the recess of the cap portion may be formed as a hole which is hollowed from the outside of the cap portion to allow the protrusion to be received and to provide both the engagement shoulder and the walls therein. The hole may be in communication with an opening formed in the cap portion on the inside thereof to allow the protrusion to be inserted therethrough during the pivotal movement of the cap portion. This allows the recess to be formed as intended by using a simplified molding die.